Refrigerator-car



(No Model.) Y

W. E. EAJSTNLMI.v REFRIGERATOR GAR.

Patented Aug., 1, 1893 A, 1r, n

llNrfrnn STAT-ns ATENT union.'

VILLIAM E. EASTMAN, OF POS'FON,4 MASSACHUSETTS.

REFmcERAToR-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,662,6 ated August1, 1893.

Application tiled August 22, 1892. Serial No. 443,764. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. EAsTMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Refrigerator-Cars, of which the following is aspecification. My present invention is in the nature of an improvementin certain details of construct1on of a refrigerator-car constructed inaccordance. with the invention set forth in Letters Patent of the UnitedStates No. 469,296, `granted to me on the 23d day of February, 1892, foran automatic refrigerator; and it relates particularly to theconstruction of the ice-rack in the ice storage-chamber.

The cage or crib in the ice-chamber in my said patent is permanent as toits dimensions and capacity, though in colder weather less ice isrequired than when the weather ,is warmer. Besides, in the colderweather, the ice-supply should occupy the higher position in theice-chamber in order that the air cooled by contact with it may besubjected to the warmer, expanding temperature throughout a longercourse on its way to the merchandise storage-chamber and thus reach thelatter at a temperature suiiiciently lower than that which it attainsWhile in contact with the ice to have expanded to the volume req' uisitefor decreasing proportionately the moisture, gathered from the ice, bythe increased volume of the air adequate for my use of the latter as arefrigerant.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in sectional elevationof arefrigerator car provided with my improvements, the section beingtaken at the lines 1 on Fig. 2 and viewed as indicated by arrows. Fig. 2is a section taken at the line 2 on Fig. l and viewedin the direction ofthe arrow; and Fig. 3 is a broken perspective View, in the nature of adiagram, illustratinga construction of the ice-crib whereby it isrendered vertically extensible and contractible.

A is the car, which may involve the same construction except as to thedetails of my present improvement, as the car set forth in the aforesaidpatent, thus being provided with walls r, a floor q and a roof p, allinsulated, and divided inside into a merchandise storage-chamber B andice storage-chambers C,

. of which latter but onejis herein shown, be-

ing sufficient for my purpose, though if two be'eruployed they may beconstructed alike. Other features are Vthe opening o in the upper end ofthe insulating partition D separating the two chambersB and C, and whichopening aifords communication between them, and an ice-crib E in thechamber C from the base of which an air-iiue F extends to the chamber B.Y

I extend liues lF inside the car on the floor or floor-level (for theflue or flues may be in the car-walls as well as in the positionillustrated) from openings n in the base of the partition-wall atopposite sidesk of the longitudinal center of the car, and extend theiiues to or nearly to the transverse center of the car, there providingeach with a grated side-opening m. Thus the air, which enters thechamber C through the opening'o from the chamber B is cooled by contactwith the ice supported in the ice-crib E in the icechamber, whence itpasses to and throughthe dues F,expanding therein under the influence ofthe higher temperature in the flues, from which it emerges into thechamber B accordingly increased in volume with its load of moisture,gathered from the ice, proportionately decreased,being thereby renderedthe better refrigerant.

The ice-crib E is represented as formed with the upper and lowerrectangular frames Z and Z of angle-iron and of dimensions adapting themto fit in the ice-chamber, the upper frame being supported stationarilyin position. The sides of the rack are formed with bars 7c fastened atdesired intervals apart in the frame Zand passing loosely through thebase-frame Z', which is adjustably supported on them, as by means ofcollars t on the rods fastened by set-screws t. The top of the crib Emay be open, but the bottom should be yformed with rods la' supported attheir ends in opposite sides of the frame Z. p

By providing a vertically extensible and contractible crib whatever itsform and con-` struction `may be, as by means of a vertically adjustablebase, the capacity may be gaged' according to requirement.

Thus the base may be readily raised to reduce the capacity of the criband lowered to increase its capac- IOO ity; according to the requirementin the icesupply, as in the matter of a colder or Warmer season of theyear.

To render the ice-chamber accessible for adjustment of the rack, a doorD may be pro- Vlded in the partition D.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. n a refrigerator-car, the combination with the ice-st0rage chamber Cof a vertically adjustable ice-crib in said chamber, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with the ice-storage chamberC, of an ice-crib in said chamber having an adjustable base, 15substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 3. In arefrigerator-car, lthe combination with the ice-storage chamber C, of anice-crib E in said chamber formed with frames Z and Z and bars 7c and7c', the frame Z being supzo ported and vertically adjustable on thebars k, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

VILLIAM E. EASTMAN. In presence 0f- J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. E. WINN.

